A groan escaped my lips as I buried my face into the pillow, trying to block out the persistent voice calling my name.

"Ritika!" Mom's voice rang again, this time sharper, more impatient.

Ugh. It had been more than a week since I returned to India, but I still hadn't stepped out of my room. Everything felt strange-awkward, even. Ten years in the U.S., and now I was back here like nothing had changed.

Except, everything had changed.

I had built my life there, my career, my identity, In the US for 10 years. And yet, one phone call from my father had shattered everything.

'Tumhe wapas aana hoga, Ritika. Zyada sawaal mat karo.'
('You have to come back, Ritika. Don't ask too many questions.')

And that was it. No explanations, no discussions. Just a command.

"Ugh!" I groaned again, pushing my hair back.

"Aati hoon!" ("I'm coming!") I called out, my voice still laced with sleep.

But before I could even move, my door burst open with a loud bang.

I barely had a second to react before a whirlwind of emotions stormed in-Anshika.

"TU PAGAL HAI KYA?!" ("ARE YOU CRAZY?!") she screamed, storming toward me with an expression that was a mix of anger, hurt, and betrayal.

"Mujhe bina bataye chali gayi! Ek baar bhi nahi mili, aur ab jab wapas aayi hai toh tujhe yeh zaroori nahi laga ki mujhe bata de?!"
("You left without telling me! You didn't even meet me once, and now that you're back, you didn't think it was important to inform me?!")

I opened my mouth to speak, but she wasn't done.

"I had to find out from Yash bhai!" She crossed her arms, eyes glistening. "Yash bhai, Ritika! Tujhse nahi, teri family se pata chala ki tu wapas aa chuki hai!"
("From Yash bhai, Ritika! Not from you, but from your family, I got to know you're back!")

"I-"

Before I could get another word out, she grabbed the nearest pillow and started hitting me with it.

"Tu pagal hai! Bewakoof! Jaa ke kahin mar ja!"
("You're crazy! Idiot! Just go die somewhere!")

"Anshu!" I yelped, shielding myself as she continued her attack. When she finally threw the pillow away, her hand came up, landing a light slap on my arm.

"I deserve that," I muttered.

"Damn right you do!" she huffed. "Do you have any idea how heartbroken I was? How dare you leave without saying goodbye?!"

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "I didn't have the courage to leave you after meeting you, Anshu. Agar milti, toh shayad kabhi ja hi nahi paati."
("If I had met you, I might have never been able to leave.")

Her anger melted instantly. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before I knew it, she threw her arms around me, hugging me tight. I closed my eyes, hugging her back just as fiercely.

A familiar bark interrupted our moment, making Anshika freeze. I smirked, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

Bronie, my golden retriever, came bounding into the room, his tail wagging furiously as he jumped on the bed, heading straight for me.

"Ritika, no!" Anshika yelped, scrambling back. "Isko hata yaar!"
("Get him away, please!")

Laughing, I ran my hands through Bronie's fur as he licked my face. "Arre Anshu, itna darti kyun hai? Dekh na, kitna pyaara hai!"
("Oh Anshu, why are you so scared? Look, he's so cute!")

"Mujhe nahi dekhna! Hata ise warna main ja rahi hoon!"
("I don't want to see him! Get him away, or I'm leaving!")

I rolled my eyes before gently pushing Bronie toward the door. "Okay, okay! Ja mere sher, bahar ja."
("Alright, my tiger, go outside.")

He whined but obediently trotted out.

Anshika let out a sigh of relief before glaring at me. "Ek din yeh kutta mujhe heart attack dega, main bata rahi hoon!"

Shaking my head, I flopped back onto the bed. "Drama queen."

She huffed but then smirked. "Chal, bata. U.S. mein koi mila?"
("Come on, tell me. Did you meet someone in the U.S.?")

My entire body stiffened for a second before I forced a casual shrug. "Kuch nahi."
("Nothing.")

Anshika narrowed her eyes at me. "Tu jhooth bol rahi hai."
("You're lying.")

"Nope." I got up and changed the topic immediately. "Waise, tu bata. Koi mila?"
("Anyway, you tell me. Did you find someone?")

The way her face lit up instantly made me chuckle. "Oh my God, yes! I have a boyfriend now! And you are meeting him super soon!" She said.

I grinned. "Finally! Mera bhi dimaag kharab ho raha tha sun-sun ke ki tujhe koi nahi mil raha."
("Finally! I was getting tired of hearing that you hadn't found anyone yet.")

She rolled her eyes before quickly pulling out her phone and snapping a picture of the both of us.

"Ritika is back!" she captioned it, posting it instantly.

I smiled, shaking my head. For the first time since coming back, the heaviness in my chest felt a little lighter.

Maybe-just maybe-coming back home wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe...

The moment I stepped into the office, the usual reaction followed-employees straightened in their seats, avoiding eye contact like their lives depended on it. Some even looked like they were holding their breath.

Pathetic.

I walked toward my private elevator, my steps firm and unwavering when suddenly-

Thud!

A small frame collided with my chest.

A gasp. Papers scattering across the floor.

Silence.

My body went rigid. My jaw locked as I slowly lowered my gaze.

A female employee-someone whose name I didn't even bother remembering-stood frozen in place. Her eyes widened in pure horror, her face draining of all color. The realization hit her almost instantly.

She had touched me.

I could see her hands trembling as she bent down, hurriedly picking up the fallen files. "S-sir... I-I'm sorry... It was a mistake, I didn't mean to-"

My voice was calm, but the underlying warning was enough to make her flinch. "I don't have a habit of forgiving mistakes."

I should fire her. No-eliminate her.

But I forced myself to inhale deeply, controlling the seething rage boiling under my skin. Instead of reacting, I pulled out my phone and pressed a button. Within seconds, my men appeared.

"Get her out," I ordered coldly.

She started crying, pleading. "Sir, please! I need this job!"

I didn't acknowledge her words. I didn't care.

The guards dragged her away as she sobbed, and I could feel every single person in the office holding their breath.

I turned my gaze to them, my eyes dark and unreadable.

One glare. That was all it took for them to snap their heads down, pretending to be engrossed in their work.

Good.

Without another word, I entered my office, locking the door behind me. Shrugging off my blazer, I tossed it onto the chair, feeling the itch crawl over my skin.

Disgusting.

I stormed into the private bathroom inside my office, removing my shirt as I turned on the shower. The scalding water cascaded down my body, washing away the filth.

No one touched me.

Not unless they were family.

Or Manik.

After a long shower, I stepped out, fully dressed in a fresh black shirt and dark trousers. My hair was still damp as I rubbed a towel over it, stepping back into my office.

Just as I reached for my wristwatch, a familiar voice echoed through the room.

"Arre wah, Kairav bhai!" ("Oh wow, Kairav bro!")

I sighed.

Manik.

I turned to find him sprawled lazily on my office couch, smirking like he owned the place.

He raised a brow. "Freshly showered, new clothes... kya baat hai? morning sex? WTF who was that lucky girl?"
("Freshly showered, new clothes... what's the matter?")

I shot him a glare. "Shut up."

He ignored me completely, his smirk widening. "Tu sach bata, kaun thi? Blonde ya brunette? Maine suna hai, jo log contact se itna dur bhaagte hain, unki andar waise kaafi... heat hoti hai."
("Tell me the truth, who was she? Blonde or brunette? I've heard that people who avoid contact actually have a lot of built-up heat inside them.")

I picked up my watch, pretending he wasn't there.

Manik sighed dramatically. "Waise, ek aur chhoti si baat thi."
("By the way, there was one more small thing.")

I glanced at him, raising a brow. "What?"

"I hired that girl."

My fingers stilled over the watch strap. "Excuse me?"

Manik grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "The one you just fired. She was crying like hell, bro. So I hired her in my company."

I exhaled sharply, rolling my neck. "You're an idiot."

"And you're a cold-hearted psycho, but we balance each other out." He flashed a cheeky grin. "Waise bhi, tu kya kar sakta hai? Tune use office se nikal diya, maine apne mein le liya. Simple."
("Anyway, what can you do? You fired her, I hired her. Simple.")

I ran a hand through my damp hair, forcing myself to ignore him.

"By the way," I muttered, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Manik stretched, yawning like he had all the time in the world. "Oh, nothing. Just closed a million-dollar deal. Thought I'd drop by to ruin your day."

I rolled my eyes. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Because tu mujhe jaanta hai, mere pyaare dost." He grinned. "Main chahe swarg bhi jaa raha hoon, aur tu narak mein ho, toh bhi main bolunga-'Mujhe narak bhejo, mera dost wahan hai!'"
("Because you know me, my dear friend. Even if I were going to heaven and you were in hell, I'd say-'Send me to hell, my best friend is there!'")

I let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose."This is exactly why you built your company next to mine, isn't it?"

Manik smirked, looking way too pleased with himself. "Bingo."

I roll my eyes and sit on my chair, focused on my work, flipping through files with precision. The silence in the office was interrupted by a distant scream-loud, desperate, filled with agony.

Manik barely glanced up from his phone. "Bhai, tujhe ek secret soundproof torture room banana chahiye tha office mein." (Dude, you should've built a secret soundproof torture room in your office.)

I didn't react, my eyes scanning the documents in front of me.

Manik sighed. "Seriously, Kairav. Ye roz-roz ki cheekhein sunke mera mood kharab ho jata hai. Kaise kaam karta hai tu?" (Seriously, Kairav. These daily screams ruin my mood. How do you even work like this?)

I ignored him.

He huffed, going back to scrolling his phone. A few minutes passed in silence, except for the occasional sound of my pen against paper.

Then-

"What the fuck" Manik suddenly sat up straight, eyes glued to his screen. His lips stretched into an all-too-familiar grin.

I didn't look up. "Now what?"

"Oh, I just found something very interesting." His voice dripped with amusement.

I flipped another page. "I don't have time for your nonsense."

Manik chuckled. "You'll want to see this."

I didn't respond.

He leaned forward, sliding his phone across my desk. "Ritika Singhania is back."

My pen froze mid-signature.

Slowly, I lifted my gaze. Manik was grinning like he just won a lottery.

"What?" My voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.

He tapped the screen. "See for yourself, my friend. Teri pyari dushman India wapas aa gayi." (See for yourself, your dear enemy is back in India.)

I picked up the phone, my eyes scanning the Instagram post.

Anshika had uploaded a picture-her and Ritika, The caption?

"Look who's back! My Rits is finally in India again! 🥰🎉 #Reunion #BestiesForever"

For a second, I just stared at the picture.

Manik whistled. "Bhai, tujhe dekhna chahiye tera expression abhi. Tujhe agar shisha dikha du, tu khud se darr jayega." (Bro, you should see your expression right now. If I showed you a mirror, you'd scare yourself.)

I tossed his phone back at him. "I don't give a damn."

Manik smirked. "Haan haan, bilkul. Isiliye file ke upar itni zor se pen tod diya." (Yeah, sure. That's why you just broke your pen on the file.)

I glanced down. The pen in my hand had snapped.

I exhaled sharply, tossing it aside. "Get out, Manik."

He cackled, standing up dramatically. "Agar tu Ritika se nahi mila na, toh main personally tum dono ka reunion arrange kar dunga." (If you don't meet Ritika, I'll personally arrange a reunion for you both.)

I shot him a warning glare. "Try me."

Manik winked. "Challenge accepted, dost."

With that, he strolled out of the office, whistling to himself.

Silence settled again.

I leaned back in his chair,my fingers tapping against the desk. My sharp eyes flickered to my own phone.

After a brief pause, I unlocked it, swiftly searching for Anshika's ID.

The same picture appeared on my screen-Ritika, smiling, standing beside Anshika.

My grip tightened. Old memories clawed their way to the surface-clashes, challenges, her defiance, the fire in her eyes when she argued with him.

Then, her absence.

A decade. No news. No contact. Nothing.

I should've forgotten her. Should've erased her from my mind.

And yet-

The moment I saw her name, something inside me shifted.

My gaze darkened.

A smirk ghosted on my lips, but there was no humor in it.

"Welcome back, Singhania."

My voice was a whisper in my empty office, carrying an unspoken promise.

This time... you won't leave so easily.

☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

Author is here~

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